Five apps for managing your Gmail Contacts

Five apps for managing your Gmail Contacts

If you're a heavy user of Google Apps, you know that the
Google Contacts Manager isn't the greatest tool in an otherwise outstanding
toolbox. In fact, the contact manager trapped within Google Docs is so bad, I
use it only as a Gmail address book. How this has been overlooked for so long
escapes me — considering how the business landscape lives and dies by its
contacts. Finding third-party contact managers for Google Contacts isn't easy.
But between Android and web-based apps/services, I have come up with a solid
list of five contact managers that work with Google Contacts to bring a bit of
power and flexibility to a rather weak entry.

FullContact

FullContact, previously called RainMaker, is a web service (currently in beta)
that automatically collects your Gmail Contacts. It features a unified contact
manager, so you can import contacts from other lists/apps, too. The FullContact
interface is simple to use and allows you to tag, add notes, edit, and enter information
(organization, title, address, phone, etc.). You can also add multiple address
books and import business cards.

FullContact

From within the Settings, you can enrich your contacts.
FullContact will pull in publicly available information about a client and
automatically add it to the contact. There are two versions of FullContact:
Free and Premium. The Premium edition will set you back $9.99 per month (or
$99.00 per year). It will hold up to 25K contacts, allows you to import 100
business cards per month, and offers real time syncing of contacts.

Contacts+

Contacts+ is one of the best
contacts apps you'll find for the Android platform. This free app features a
beautifully rendered interface, an integrated dialer, easy access to SMS and
calls, smart contact organization (by frequency of call, alphabetically, or
last called), photo sync with Google+ (or Facebook), dialer search (as shown in
the Verizon-branded HTC M8), rich profiles, duplicate contact merging, filters,
and much more.

Contacts+

The
developers of Contacts+ are fantastic at responding to requests and even
feature suggestions. If you're looking for one of the best means of managing
your Gmail Contacts, Contacts+ might be the way to go.

Google Contacts

Google Contacts is an add-on for
the Thunderbird mail client that does a great job of syncing your Gmail and
Thunderbird contacts. Access is bidirectional and, upon first setup, the
contacts will take some time to initially sync. The Google contacts behave
exactly as they would in the standard Thunderbird Address Book, so you can add
more information.

Google Contacts

One caveat: You must add the Gmail Account to
Thunderbird for it to work properly (otherwise, you just view the Gmail
Contacts page in a tab within Thunderbird). The app is free and is
found/installed in the Thunderbirds Add-ons Manager.

Contacts Ultra

Contacts Ultra is another Android
app that goes out of its way to offer features not found in the Gmail Contacts
app. Like most Android contacts apps, Contacts Ultra unifies contacts from all
accounts. But you can still add contacts to specific accounts as well as view
contacts only from your Gmail account.

Contacts Ultra

Contacts
Ultra features easy navigation, access to all contact info from the contact
picture, the ability to sort contacts by name or conversation and to add/edit
contacts, an option to enable/disable sync, a homescreen widget, and more. The
app is free and includes ads. You can dismiss the ads with the in-app purchase
($0.99).

Zoho ContactManager

Zoho ContactManager is an odd entry here, because it is a
competitor of Gmail. But Zoho ContactManager is light years better than the
Gmail counterpart. In fact, Zoho ContactManager is about as powerful a tool as
you will find in this arena. It lets you distribute work through a team,
interact with contacts through social media (from within the app itself),
access the contact manager from your desktop or your Android or IOS device, and
use task templates to help you work with your contacts.

Zoho ContactManager

Zoho
ContactManager is geared toward helping you get business done rather than just
keeping a digital Rolodex. Zoho ContactManager is $25/month for up to five
users.

Five apps for managing your Gmail Contacts

If you're a heavy user of Google Apps, you know that the
Google Contacts Manager isn't the greatest tool in an otherwise outstanding
toolbox. In fact, the contact manager trapped within Google Docs is so bad, I
use it only as a Gmail address book. How this has been overlooked for so long
escapes me — considering how the business landscape lives and dies by its
contacts. Finding third-party contact managers for Google Contacts isn't easy.
But between Android and web-based apps/services, I have come up with a solid
list of five contact managers that work with Google Contacts to bring a bit of
power and flexibility to a rather weak entry.

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By Jack Wallen

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com. He’s an avid promoter of open source and the voice of The Android Expert. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.

Full Bio

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com. He’s an avid promoter of open source and the voice of The Android Expert. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.